Anna Pavlova

Anna Pavlova serves as Professor of Finance at London Business School (LBS), where she also holds the position of Academic Director for the AQR Asset Management Institute. Additionally, she directs the Asset Pricing Programme at the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) and serves on the councils of the European Economic Association, SFI Scientific Council, and AFFECT Committee, having previously held leadership roles at both the American Finance Association and European Finance Association.

Her academic credentials include a PhD in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania, an MA in Economics from the New Economic School (Moscow), and an MSc in Applied Mathematics from Moscow State University.

Professor Pavlova's research centers on asset pricing and financial market dynamics, with particular emphasis on institutional investors' impact on markets, ESG investing trends, retail participation in options markets, commodity financialization, and international financial frictions. Her work bridges theoretical finance with real-world market phenomena, addressing critical issues in modern investment practices and regulatory considerations through rigorous empirical analysis.

Her recent publication portfolio reveals cohesive exploration of benchmarking practices in asset management, the explosive growth of retail options trading, and structural frictions in global capital markets. These studies collectively examine how institutional frameworks, investor behaviors, and market microstructures interact to shape price formation across equities, commodities, and derivatives markets, with significant implications for portfolio construction and regulatory policy.

Her research excellence has been recognized through prestigious awards including:

• ERC Starting Grant
• Multiple teaching awards at LBS
• Research accolades from major finance associations

Through her academic leadership and grant-funded research initiatives, Pavlova advances understanding of market efficiency while fostering industry-academia collaboration. Her ERC-funded work specifically investigates the growing influence of institutional investors on market dynamics and asset valuation processes across global financial systems.

As Academic Director of the AQR Asset Management Institute, she oversees a major research hub connecting LBS faculty with industry practitioners to explore cutting-edge developments in quantitative finance, portfolio management, and sustainable investment strategies through workshops, conferences, and collaborative research projects.